Sport for Business, working with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, brought Ireland’s sporting and sustainability communities together yesterday at the Sport Ireland Campus for Playing for the Planet, an event that underlined both the urgency of the climate crisis and the role sport can play in driving meaningful change.
Hosted by Rob Hartnett, the day blended policy direction, practical case studies, and cross-sector collaboration, offering a clear signal that sport was ready and able to play a key role in the storytelling that is crucial to nudging behaviour through initiatives planned by in both the private and the public sector.
The event was formally opened by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, who signalled a significant shift for the sector. The Minister confirmed the Government’s intention to place a stronger emphasis on sustainability within future capital funding allocations, marking a clear expectation that sporting organisations will integrate environmental responsibility into how they build, manage, and operate facilities. That was part of a compelling speech that set the stage for the day of collaborative energy.
What followed was a series of insightful presentations and discussions from organisations already putting that principle into practice.
Laura Lahiff and Philip Quinn from Munster Rugby, Peter McKenna from Croke Park and the GAA Croke Park, Sean McCabe from Bohemian FC, Ann Courtney from Golf Ireland, Benny Cullen from Sport Ireland with Robert Cazaciuc of the Department of Transport, Moira Aston of Canoeing Ireland, Paul Heffernan from the the Department of Climate, Energy, the Environment and Water, Dr Míde Ní Shuilleabháin from the GAA Green Clubs Programme and Mike McClure from the European Network of Outdoor Sports each brought their own perspectives on how sport intersects with climate action.
We also heard from the voices of those who are participating and volunteering across sport, from Olympian Ben Johnson who represented Ireland at Paris 24 in Hockey, Michelle Davoren who combines a passion for sustainability in business and political life with being a Leinster LGFA Champion Gaelic Footballer and Léon Dreher who told us the sustainability story of being a volunteer manager at the last two European Championship football tournaments.
Among the standout themes was the value of real-world implementation. Munster Rugby outlined its progress in energy-efficient stadium operations and community engagement around climate action.
Golf Ireland emphasised biodiversity protection and water conservation across its course network.
Canoeing Ireland spoke compellingly about the intrinsic connection between its sport and the natural environment, a reminder that climate impacts are already felt directly by athletes and clubs.
The continued growth of the Green Clubs initiative showed how sustainability frameworks can scale from local to national level.
We heard about the development by the Department of Climate, Energy, the Environment and Water of the new Sustainable Sport Tool Kits and from the Department of Transport about plans to include Sport as one of the areas tracked under the national transport survey and of an innovative pilot schemme to support clubs moving fans via coaches to matches and events.
We will have more on both of these and more from the event throughout next week.
UCDS, Trinity College Dublin and TUD were all among the guests and spoke afterwards about embedding sustainability into third-level curricula will ensure future graduates enter the workforce with the knowledge and confidence to champion environmental responsibility from day one.
Across the day, the power of collaboration was a constant thread, between governing bodies, venues, local authorities, and Government departments.
The event demonstrated that while sport faces significant challenges in reducing its environmental footprint, it also holds a unique advantage: the ability to unite people, inspire action, and model positive behaviour at scale.
That was the theme which Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue doubled down on in his closing speech to the guests.
Playing for the Planet was both inspiring and practical, offering attendees a roadmap for where Irish sport can go next. The conversations now need to become actions, but the momentum is clearly building.
We look forward to 2026 being a positive year where sport can become central to how Ireland puts its sustainability obligations front and centre stage.
Image Credit: Matt Dossett, Trinity Sport
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
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